Blended learning in Social Care Education in Ireland: A New Opportunity

Using an action research approach this paper examines the complexity of designing and developing an innovative and user-friendly approach to professional social care education that incorporates advances in educational technology. The project has just moved to the operational stage following an 18-month period of consultation and reflection. Therefore, this paper represents and outline of the development phase and a progress report of the first eight weeks of delivery

Stroke Knowledge in an Irish Semi-Rural Community-Dwelling Cohort and Impact of a Brief Education Session.

Poor knowledge of stroke risk factors and failure to recognize and act on acute symptoms hinders efforts to prevent stroke and improve clinical outcomes. Levels of stroke knowledge are poorly established within Ireland. This study was conducted to establish levels of knowledge among men and women aged \u3e40 years in an Irish community, and also to determine the impact of a single education session on stroke knowledge. Subjects from 2 separate geographical locations were allocated to an intervention group (n = 200), who received stroke information over a 90-minute session, or a control group (n = 200). Both groups completed a stroke knowledge questionnaire at baseline and at 4 weeks after the educational session. Overall, the initial response rate was 70% (280/400); 52% of the respondents knew that the brain is affected by stroke, 58% could list 2 or more risk factors but only 27% could list 2 or more warning signs, 50% would call 999 (emergency number in Ireland) in response to stroke, 17% had heard of thrombolytic therapy, but only 1% knew the time frame for receiving thrombolytics. The response rate to the resurvey following the educational session was 57%, with 47 of 117 subjects in the intervention group (40%) attending the session. Stroke knowledge scores improved by 50% in the intervention group (P \u3c .001). Overall, the knowledge of stroke risk factors, warning signs, and thrombolytic therapy was poor in this Irish community-dwelling cohort. Our study demonstrates that a single educational session can improve short-term knowledge of stroke symptoms and thrombolytic therapy

Shear stress fluctuations in the granular liquid and solid phases

We report on experimentally observed shear stress fluctuations in both granular solid and fluid states, showing that they are non-Gaussian at low shear rates, reflecting the predominance of correlated structures (force chains) in the solidlike phase, which also exhibit finite rigidity to shear. Peaks in the rigidity and the stress distribution's skewness indicate that a change to the force-bearing mechanism occurs at the transition to fluid behaviour, which, it is shown, can be predicted from the behaviour of the stress at lower shear rates. In the fluid state stress is Gaussian distributed, suggesting that the central limit theorem holds. The fibre bundle model with random load sharing effectively reproduces the stress distribution at the yield point and also exhibits the exponential stress distribution anticipated from extant work on stress propagation in granular materials.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, latex. Replacement adds journal reference and addresses referee comment

The Design of Student Training Resources to Enhance the Student Voice in Academic Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement Processes

Without appropriate training and recognition, students – in particular Class Representatives – often struggle to engage fully with a University’s quality assurance and quality enhancement processes. Through the “Our Student Voice” project in Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), a suite of digital training resources were designed to provide training for students to help develop the requisite knowledge and skills for effective participation there processes, thus strengthening student engagement and enhancing the student voice. The resources are organised into thirteen accessible episodes that each commence with an animated scenario that sets out key messages. The remainder of the episode provides detailed guidance for students and learning activities to help students develop their skillset. Upon completion of the learning activities, and having satisfactorily undertaken one of three specific student role in the quality processes, students can apply for recognition through a digital badge. The training resources and digital badges have been co-designed by a project team comprised of staff and students from across the University guided by best practice internationally. This paper describes the co-design process and presents a set of lessons learned that may assist other higher education institutions in enabling impactful student engagement in their academic quality assurance and quality enhancement processes

Unearthing Current Knowledge Gaps in Our Understanding of Tree Stability: Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Forest preservation and management are paramount for sustainable mitigation of climate change, timber production, and the economy. However, the potential of trees and forests to provide these benefits to the ecosystem is hampered by natural phenomena such as windthrow and anthropogenic activities. The aim of the current research was to undertake a critical thematic review (from 1983 to 2023) informed by a bibliometric analysis of existing literature on tree stability. The results revealed an increase in tree stability research between 2019 and 2022, with the USA, France, and Italy leading in research output, while Scotland and England notably demonstrated high research influence despite fewer publications. A keyword analysis showed that tree stability can be divided into four themes: tree species, architecture, anchorage, and environmental factors. Prominent studies on tree stability have focused on root anchorage. However, more recently, there has been a growing emphasis on urban forestry and disease-induced tree damage, underscoring a shift towards climate change and diversity research. It was concluded that considerable knowledge gaps still exist; that greater geographic diversification of research is needed and should include tropical and sub-tropical regions; that research relating to a wider range of soil types (and textures) should be conducted; and that a greater emphasis on large-scale physical modelling is required. Data and knowledge produced from these areas will improve our collective understanding of tree stability and therefore help decision makers and practitioners manage forestry resources in a more sustainable way into the future

Prevalence of tumor BRCA1 and BRCA2 dysfunction in unselected patients with ovarian cancer

Objective The therapeutic benefits of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors highlight the need to evaluate BRCA1/2 defects in tubal/ovarian cancer (OC). We sought to determine the pattern and disease characteristics associated with tumor BRCA1/2 mutations and BRCA1 methylation in women with OC. Methods We obtained 111 OC specimens from 2 university hospitals and assessed BRCA1/2 mutations and BRCA1 methylation in tumor DNA. The frequency and pattern of BRCA1/2 defects were examined. Associations between patient/disease characteristics and BRCA1/2 defects were ascertained (Fisher’s exact test). Platinum-free interval (PFI), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) based on the underlying BRCA1/2 defect were determined (Kaplan-Meier analysis [log-rank test]). Results We observed a BRCA1/2 dysfunction rate of 40% (28/70) in high-grade serous tubal/ovarian cancer (HGSC), including 14.3% BRCA1 methylation (n=10), 7.1% BRCA1 mutation (n=5), and 18.6% BRCA2 mutation (n=13). Defects in BRCA1/2 genes were associated with stage III/IV HGSC (BRCA1 methylation: P=0.005 [stage III/IV] and P=0.004 [HGSC]; BRCA1/2 mutation: P=0.03 [stage III/IV] and P<0.001 [HGSC]). Patients with BRCA1/2-mutated cancers showed improved OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43–0.99; P=0.045) and a trend toward improved PFI (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.22–1.06; P=0.07) and PFS (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.51–1.03; P=0.07). No survival differences were observed between BRCA1-methylated and BRCA1/2 wild-type non-BRCA1-methylated cancers. Conclusion We observed a high tumor BRCA1/2 dysfunction rate in HGSC with a unique predominance of BRCA2 over BRCA1 mutations. While BRCA1/2 mutations conferred survival benefits in OC, no such association was observed with BRCA1 methylation

Solvable three-state model of a driven double-well potential and coherent destruction of tunneling

A simple model for a particle in a double well is derived from discretizing its configuration space. The model contains as many free parameters as the original system and it respects all the existing symmetries. In the presence of an external periodic force both the continuous system and the discrete model are shown to possess a generalized time-reversal symmetry in addition to the known generalized parity. The impact of the driving force on the spectrum of the Floquet operator is studied. In particular, the occurrence of degenerate quasienergies causing coherent destruction of tunneling is discussed—to a large extent analytically—for arbitrary driving frequencies and barrier heights

ICON 9-an international phase III randomized study to evaluate the efficacy of maintenance therapy with olaparib and cediranib or olaparib alone in patients with relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer following a response to platinum-based chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: Two novel biological agents-cediranib targeting angiogenesis, and olaparib targeting DNA repair processes-have individually led to an improvement in ovarian cancer control. The aim of ICON9 is to investigate the combination of cediranib and olaparib maintenance in recurrent ovarian cancer following platinum-based therapy. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of maintenance treatment with olaparib in combination with cediranib compared with olaparib alone following a response to platinum-based chemotherapy in women with platinum-sensitive ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer during first relapse. STUDY HYPOTHESIS: Maintenance therapy with cediranib and olaparib in combination is associated with improved patient outcomes compared with olaparib alone. TRIAL DESIGN: International phase III randomized controlled trial. Following a response to platinum-based chemotherapy patients are randomized 1:1 to either oral olaparib and cediranib (intervention arm) or oral olaparib alone (control arm). MAJOR INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients with a known diagnosis of high grade serous or endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube or peritoneum, progressing more than 6 months after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, who have responded to second-line platinum-based chemotherapy. PRIMARY ENDPOINTS: Progression-free and overall survival. Co-primary endpoints to be assessed using a fixed-sequence gatekeeping approach: (1) progression-free survival, all patients; (2) progression-free survival, BRCA wild type; (3) overall survival, all patients; (4) overall survival, BRCA wild type. SAMPLE SIZE: 618 patients will be recruited. ESTIMATED DATES FOR COMPLETING ACCRUAL AND PRESENTING RESULTS: Accrual is expected to be completed in 2024 with presentation of results in 2025. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03278717

The relation between media promotions and service volume for a statewide tobacco quitline and a web-based cessation program

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This observational study assessed the relation between mass media campaigns and service volume for a statewide tobacco cessation quitline and stand-alone web-based cessation program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify how weekly calls to a cessation quitline and weekly registrations to a web-based cessation program are related to levels of broadcast media, media campaigns, and media types, controlling for the impact of external and earned media events.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a positive relation between weekly broadcast targeted rating points and the number of weekly calls to a cessation quitline and the number of weekly registrations to a web-based cessation program. Additionally, print secondhand smoke ads and online cessation ads were positively related to weekly quitline calls. Television and radio cessation ads and radio smoke-free law ads were positively related to web program registration levels. There was a positive relation between the number of web registrations and the number of calls to the cessation quitline, with increases in registrations to the web in 1 week corresponding to increases in calls to the quitline in the subsequent week. Web program registration levels were more highly influenced by earned media and other external events than were quitline call volumes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, broadcast advertising had a greater impact on registrations for the web program than calls to the quitline. Furthermore, registrations for the web program influenced calls to the quitline. These two findings suggest the evolving roles of web-based cessation programs and Internet-use practices should be considered when creating cessation programs and media campaigns to promote them. Additionally, because different types of media and campaigns were positively associated with calls to the quitline and web registrations, developing mass media campaigns that offer a variety of messages and communicate through different types of media to motivate tobacco users to seek services appears important to reach tobacco users. Further research is needed to better understand the complexities and opportunities involved in simultaneous promotion of quitline and web-based cessation services.</p

Lifespan extension and the doctrine of double effect

Recent developments in biogerontology—the study of the biology of ageing—suggest that it may eventually be possible to intervene in the human ageing process. This, in turn, offers the prospect of significantly postponing the onset of age-related diseases. The biogerontological project, however, has met with strong resistance, especially by deontologists. They consider the act of intervening in the ageing process impermissible on the grounds that it would (most probably) bring about an extended maximum lifespan—a state of affairs that they deem intrinsically bad. In a bid to convince their deontological opponents of the permissibility of this act, proponents of biogerontology invoke an argument which is grounded in the doctrine of double effect. Surprisingly, their argument, which we refer to as the ‘double effect argument’, has gone unnoticed. This article exposes and critically evaluates this ‘double effect argument’. To this end, we first review a series of excerpts from the ethical debate on biogerontology in order to substantiate the presence of double effect reasoning. Next, we attempt to determine the role that the ‘double effect argument’ is meant to fulfil within this debate. Finally, we assess whether the act of intervening in ageing actually can be justified using double effect reasoning